Also called: Director of Sports Science, Head of Performance
Leads a pro or national team's sports science, strength, nutrition, and recovery staff to get the most out of every athlete.
They review data from GPS vests, force plates, and sleep trackers every morning, then meet with coaches to decide who trains hard and who needs rest. They manage a team of scientists, strength coaches, and dietitians. The goal: fewer injuries and better performance.
Estimate; roles mostly at pro teams, national governing bodies, and major college programs.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 10 years after high school. Master's or PhD in exercise science or sports science plus years of applied experience.
Ways in: Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Sports Science.
Growing faster than average. Growing as teams invest in data-driven performance.
Low risk for 10 years. AI crunches GPS, force-plate and wellness data; deciding what each athlete does and leading the staff stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Statistics, Weight training PE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9199.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.